David Montgomery is the heartbeat of the Detroit Lions' stellar rushing attack. He will continue to be a big factor for Detroit's offense after he and the team agreed to a contract extension Saturday that will keep him a Lion through the 2027 season.
Montgomery, 27, signed a three-year contract in free agency ahead of the 2023 season. The team also drafted running back Jahmyr Gibbs a month later in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and the two have become arguably the best running back tandem in the NFL.
Gibbs is under contract for two more seasons after this year and the team can pick up his fifth-year option on that rookie contract. Saturday's extension for Montgomery solidifies Detroit's backfield for years to come. Montgomery and Gibbs became the first set of teammates in NFL history to produce at least 1,000 scrimmage yards and 10 rushing touchdowns in the same season last year.
View photos of Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery.
Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) during an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams on Sept. 8, 2024 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) during an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 30, 2024 in Detroit. (Carl Jones II/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) celebrates after a touchdown with Detroit Lions tight end Parker Hesse (43) during an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 30, 2024 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) during an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 30, 2024 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown (14) and Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) celebrate after a touchdown during an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals on Sept. 22, 2024 in Glendale, Ariz. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) during an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 15, 2024 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) scores a touchdown with Detroit Lions tackle Dan Skipper (70), Detroit Lions guard Kevin Zeitler (71) during an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 30, 2024 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) during an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 30, 2024 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) during an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals on Sept. 22, 2024 in Glendale, Ariz. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) during an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals on Sept. 22, 2024 in Glendale, Ariz. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) posing for a photo after winning the Angry Runs award for Week 1 at the Meijer Performance Center in Allen Park, MI on September 11, 2024. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions)
Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) scores a touchdown during an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 15, 2024 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) during an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals on Sept. 22, 2024 in Glendale, Ariz. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) during an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams on Sept. 8, 2024 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) during an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams on Sept. 8, 2024 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) during an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 15, 2024 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) during an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams on Sept. 8, 2024 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) during an NFL football game against the Arizona Cardinals on Sept. 22, 2024 in Glendale, Ariz. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) during an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sept. 15, 2024 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) during an NFL football game against the Los Angeles Rams on Sept. 8, 2024 in Detroit. (Jeff Nguyen/Detroit Lions via AP)
In his first season with the Lions in 2023 after coming over from division rival Chicago, Montgomery rushed for 1,015 yards (4.6 avg.) and 13 touchdowns to pace a Detroit rushing attack that finished the regular season fifth in the NFL averaging 135.9 yards per contest. His 13 rushing scores trailed only Raheem Mostert (18), Josh Allen (15), Jalen Hurts (15) and Christian McCaffrey (14) last year.
Since joining the league in 2019, Montgomery has the seventh most rushing yards and has forced the fourth most missed tackles.
So far this season, he's rushed for 271 yards (4.3 avg.) with four touchdowns in four contests. He has a rushing touchdown in seven straight games dating back to last year and he's also caught nine passes for another 94 yards this season.
"I mean this guy is unbelievable, he is," Lions head coach Dan Campbell said of Montgomery after he had the play of the game last week vs. Seattle with a 40-yard catch and run where he broke at least four tackles. "I would never not block for that guy, ever because the play is never over with him, it's just not, it is not over. He'll keep any play alive. He's a strong runner. He can will himself to make things happen, and he's tough, he's relentless, he's resilient, he's everything you want in a back."
